Free electricity is a phrase you’ll hear a lot about when you’re shopping for a new energy plan. Unfortunately, these plans only offer free electricity on weekends or at night, depending on what energy companies are advertising. This is because there really is no such thing as completely free electricity. In fact, you’ll pay more for your electricity during those hours that aren’t free. For this reason, these plans are best for families who aren’t home during the day and people who work traditional, 9 – 5 jobs.
Since the Texas electricity market opened to competition in 2002, many Texas residents have had the opportunity to choose their own electricity provider. Instead of relying on their local utility to provide them with electricity, most Texans can choose from a variety of competitive providers, allowing them to shop around for the perfect electricity plan for their homes and lifestyles.
Month-to-month electric plans are more commonly known as variable rate plans. With these plans the amount you pay per kilowatt-hour for your electricity each month will vary. This price is based on fluctuations in the market, so when the price of electricity falls you’ll pay less, but when it rises, you’ll pay more. In other words, you’re really gambling and should realize ahead of time that what you pay for your electric will change every month. This is why month-to-month electricity plans are only best for people who need electricity for a short amount of time.
As a rule of thumb, if your business has less than 5 utility meters or if your average electric bill is less than $5,000 per month, you can easily shop electricity yourself and start saving quickly. Typically no deposits are required if your business has a good credit history. Service can begin within 2-3 business days of signing a contract with a provider.

No worries. It’s always a good idea to shop for a new electricity plan when you are moving to see if there is a better deal on electricity available. But, if you are happy with your current electric rate, most electricity providers will gladly keep you as a customer and continue service under your current contract at your new apartment or house as long as you move within the same utility delivery area. Don’t worry about early termination fees. If you are moving, your electricity provider cannot charge you an early termination fee if you provide a valid proof of a change of address thanks to customer protection rules established by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

According to a typical economic theory, prices are optimally determined in a fair and transparent market, and not by a political or academic body. In deregulation of electricity markets, one immediate concern with pricing is that incumbent electricity providers would undercut the prices of new entrants, preventing competition and perpetuating the existing monopoly of providers. Thus, the SB7 bill introduced a phase-in period during which a price floor would be established (for incumbent electricity companies) to prevent this predatory practice, allowing new market entrants to become established. New market entrants could charge a price below the price to beat, but incumbents could not. This period was to last from 2002 to January 1, 2007. As of 2007 Texas investor owned utility affiliates no longer have price to beat tariffs.[6]

And just like with any plan, it’s worth it to do the math to see how different scenarios will affect your bill. Take, for example, a home in Sweetwater that uses about 1,000 kWh of energy per month, and is interested in the Texas Essentials 12 plan. Zero percent renewable energy is the cheapest option — but by committing to a $5 monthly charge for its 100 percent “JustGreen” option, it’s actually cheaper than the 60 percent hybrid renewable option.

In a regulated electricity market you’re “forced” to buy your electricity from the local utility at a price that’s determined by your state and federal government. Typically, this is who you’ll pay your electric bill to, as well. However, if you live in Texas you live in a deregulated energy market. This means the state’s regulations are lifted. You can choose who provides your electricity and what price you pay for it.
In finding you the best Texas electric rates, we only list electric companies that have great business stability, excellent service, environmental awareness, and transparent pricing. This protects you from providers that could soon go out of business, are unattentive to customers, are environmentally unsound, or may end up charging you a higher rate than advertised.
According to the EIA, the overall average price of electricity for commercial customers in the US is 10.51 cents, while Texas business customers pay on average 8.23 cents per kWh (as of May 2018) for electricity. Is your business paying more? You may be able to save significantly, especially if your business is on a month-to-month or short term contract.
In order to prompt entry into the market, the price to beat would have to be high enough to allow for a modest profit by new entrants. Thus, it had to be above the cost of inputs such as natural gas and coal. For example, a price to beat fixed at the actual wholesale procurement price of electricity does not give potential entrants a margin to compete against incumbent utilities. Second, the price to beat would have to be reasonably low, to enable as many customers as possible to continue to consume electricity during the transition period.
When you’re shopping for great Texas electricity providers, you want to be smart about it. Your choices go beyond Texas electricity rates. Bounce not only offers great deals, but you can sign up for rewards programs, refer your friends, track your usage by appliance, and more. Need more convincing? Bounce Energy gives back to the community and has great customer service by phone, Facebook, and Twitter. It was founded in Texas and serves Texans…and it’s just the cool Texas brand.
Texas has electricity consumption of $24 billion a year, the highest among the U.S. states. Its annual consumption is comparable to that of Great Britain and Spain, and if the state were an independent nation, its electricity market would be the 11th largest in the world. Texas produces the most wind electricity in the U.S., but also has the highest Carbon Dioxide Emissions of any state.[4] As of 2012, Texas residential electricity rates ranked 31st in the United States and average monthly residential electric bills in Texas were the 5th highest in the nation.[5]
If you’re thinking about looking for a better electricity plan for you, shop and compare retail electricity providers in your area. Our pick is Direct Energy. With plans like Free Weekends and Direct-Your-Plan, an electricity plan tailor-made to your lifestyle, you can find the perfect option for you. Direct Energy customers also benefit from rewards programs like Refer-A-Friend, energy saving insights from Direct Your Energy and access to home services and home protection plans.

The power to choose supply rates from retail energy companies in Texas extends to businesses, not just residents. Business owners who care about the bottom line should definitely consider shopping around. To shop for Texas electric rates for a business, call us with your energy usage information or fill out our simple informational form so an energy representative can contact you with a free custom quote.